Chapter 183: Regret This

We stood at the entrance of the village. A large stone well sat in the middle of the settlement, surrounded by packed dirt that had been worn smooth from years of footsteps. Five houses were arranged around it, each separated by several metres of open space. Most were simple wooden structures with small windows, sloped roofs, and stacks of firewood piled against their walls.

A few narrow paths branched away from the well, connecting the houses to the main road and leading farther into the village. There were small vegetable patches beside some of the homes, along with wooden fences that kept chickens and other livestock from wandering into the road. A couple of villagers were outside, carrying baskets or talking near their doorways, while a child chased a chicken across the dirt before getting scolded by an older woman.

The largest building in the village was the tavern, standing two stories tall beside the well. Its wooden exterior was a little weathered, but the windows were clean and warm light spilled through them. Across from it stood a small blacksmith, where the steady clang of a hammer striking metal echoed through the village.

"So, this is Froken." Ken gestured toward the village with one hand. "Cool, huh? Five houses, a tavern, and a blacksmith."

"Rather small, I know." The woman smiled. "But it is enough for us."

I opened the system map to see if there were any missions nearby, but nothing appeared. Still, at least I had earned twenty-five EXP simply for discovering the village.

"Liked the place?" Ken asked.

"Sure," I replied. "Shall we take a break and drink something?"

"Yeah. If you’re buying."

"How much is an orange juice?"

"I don’t know. In the city, it’s a silver."

"A silver? Damn. I bought some of my equipment for that much."

"You’re lying."

"Look, I’m just saying it’s expensive."

"Jengo is giving you a discount, man. A huge one." Ken shook his head. "That dagger alone would cost at least six gold. He sold it to you for three gold and five silver."

"Oh. It costs that much?"

"I’m sorry, boys, but I have to go." The old woman smiled. "Thank you for escorting me here."

"No problem," Ken replied with a smile. "See you around. Solvane’s light be with you."

She placed a hand over her heart and bowed slightly before continuing farther into the village.

Ken and I turned toward the tavern and walked inside.

The place was considerably busier than I expected for such a small village. Several wooden tables filled the main room, most of them occupied by villagers eating or talking over drinks. A group of men sat in one corner with mugs of beer in their hands, their conversation loud enough to carry across the room. Near the opposite wall, a couple of travelers were sitting beside their packs, apparently taking a break from the road.

The ceiling was low, with thick wooden beams running across it, and a few lanterns hung from them, filling the room with a warm yellow glow. The air smelled of cooked meat, bread, spilled ale, and woodsmoke from the fireplace near the back. It felt like the sort of establishment where everyone knew everyone else.

Ken and I walked toward the counter and took two stools.

A woman soon approached us. She looked to be in her mid-forties, with her dark hair tied behind her head and a broad, confident figure that made it difficult to miss her presence. She planted both hands on the counter and leaned toward us with an amused smile. Ken and I couldn’t help but look at her... uh... breasts that were VERY noticeable from her apron.

"Oh, ’ello, boys. Wha’ can I getcha, other than me tits?" she asked in a thick accent, her dark skin illuminated by the torch behind her.

Ken and I both widened our eyes for a moment before simultaneously taking a breath and looking away.

"A ti... uh..." Ken cleared his throat. "Orange juice, please. Two. Because we’re two people." ℯℯ𝑙.

"Orange juice?" She raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "Aren’t ya a bit old to be drinkin’ orange juice, fellahs?"

"We’re still attending the academy," Ken explained. "We’re forbidden from drinking until we graduate."

"Oh, you two just look older than that."

"What?" Ken asked, turning toward her.

"I’m just messin’ withcha, idiot." She chuckled. "I can see the divine mark on your finger."

"Oh." Ken looked down at his hand. "Yeah, yeah."

"Be right witcha."

"Thanks."

The woman turned and walked toward the back of the tavern.

Ken watched her leave before slowly turning back toward me.

"Ambly’s tits, Ace. Did you see that?"

"Yep." I tapped the counter thoughtfully. "Good material. What kind of wood do you think this is?"

Ken stared at me for a second before shaking his head. "Ah, shut up, you idiot."

"What?" I asked, unable to keep the small smile off my face.

The woman returned a few minutes later with two tall glasses of orange juice, both cold enough that condensation had already gathered around them.

"Drink ’em up, fellahs," she said, sliding the glasses across the counter. "Nice ’n’ cold, just how it oughta be."

"Thanks," Ken said.

I picked up my glass and took a drink. The juice was sweet and refreshing, especially after spending most of the morning walking through the forest.

"Name’s Skolon, by ta way," the woman said, leaning forward against the counter. Her loose apron shifted slightly as she rested her elbows on the wood. Her... cleavage, man. I think she was doing it on purpose.

"Nice to meet you," Ken replied.

Skolon looked at me, then at my hands. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"Where’s yer divine mark, fellah? I don’t see no ring on them fingies."

I glanced down at my hand, then shrugged. "Forgot it at home."

Ken immediately looked at me, but he didn’t say anything.

Skolon gave me a suspicious look before waving a hand dismissively.

"Y’know what they’d do to us if we forgot our divine marks back home? Bastinade, fellahs. My feet would hurt like hell."

"Why remove it in the first place?" Ken asked.

"I used ta remove mine when I went ta sleep, then put it back on in the mornin’." She chuckled. "Sometimes I’d forget, though. Ah, good ol’ days. Good ol’ fookin’ days."

Ken took another drink before looking at her. "Which god are you blessed by, ma’am?"

Skolon raised an eyebrow. "Sure, yer callin’ me ma’am after the way you were oglin’ me tits with them dirty eyes, fellah?"

Ken nearly choked on his orange juice. "I’m... I didn’t mean to."

She laughed and reached over the counter, giving him a couple of playful punches on the shoulder. "I’m just kiddin’, calm down. I’m Myrrakai-blessed."

She leaned back and shrugged.

"Funny thing is, I never cared much fer nature me whole life. Think they made a mistake or somethin’, eh?"

"Maybe Myrrakai knows something you don’t," I said.

"Maybe. Gods are weird folk."

I took another drink before setting the glass down. "We heard some of the animals around here have been acting strangely. Going berserk, even. Do you have any idea why?"

Skolon’s expression changed slightly. "Oh, that." She rubbed her chin for a moment. "Some scientist’s work, I’d bet."

"What?" I asked.

"Yeah. Some fella came here a while back. Stayed in this very tavern fer a day." She pointed toward the stairs with her thumb. "While he was out, probably pissin’ or shittin’, I dunno, I went up ta clean his room."

Ken frowned. "And?"

"I saw this weird device next ta his bed. Never seen anythin’ like it before."

"What kind of device?" I asked.

"Dunno. Looked like some metal contraption, all strange and complicated." She waved her hands as if trying to remember its shape. "But it was givin’ off this weird vibe. It was hummin’, too. Not loud, but enough that I could feel it when I stood near it. Like it was vibratin’."

"A crazy scientist?" I asked.

Skolon shrugged. "Could be. He certainly looked the part."

I leaned back slightly.

Just what I needed. A crazy scientist and a strange device in the middle of a village where the animals had suddenly started attacking people.

We kept drinking our orange juice in silence for a moment.

Ken exhaled. "We should go now."

"Yep." I agreed.

The woman behind the counter, heavy breasts straining against the loose shirt and apron, smirked and looked straight at us. She pressed her tits together with both hands, pushing them up until one dark, hard nipple slipped free from the fabric and stood out in the open.

"Ye can ’ave me fer one gold, fellahs," she said, still holding her breasts. "I’ll suck the soul right outta ye. Fer two... ye can ’ave me in the bed."

Ken and I glanced at each other.

She smiled wider, finally letting her hands drop. The nipple stayed out for another second before she casually tucked it back under the shirt.

"Y’all know where t’ find me. Come ’ere if ye want some fun." She tapped the counter with a finger. "Oh, an’ the orange juices are on the ’ouse."

With that, she walked to the side of the counter and started pouring a beer for another customer like nothing had happened.

Ken leaned closer, voice low. "Hey... just a thought, man. You got two gold coins with you?"

I raised an eyebrow. "Wow. Straight to the second option, huh?"

"Go all in or nothin’, my guy."

I chuckled under my breath and shook my head. "Pfft. Come on. Let’s get outta here and check out that weird device thing."

"Sure, let’s g... wait, why us? We should let the guards handle it!"

"Nah, it’ll be fun. Come on."

Ken groaned as he stood up. "Man... I’m gonna regret this."

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